Joanna and Mike first met almost 10 years ago. Their romance blossomed after being friends for 7 months and prompted by friends that the chemistry was clear, the rest is history!

Their wedding took place in the dog friendly Moonraker Hotel in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire. Mentioned in the Domesday Book as being part of the Abbess of Glastonbury’s estate, the Moonraker was originally built in classic Queen Anne style before being upgraded in the 17th century to Bath stone - just stunning!

A Teddy Maximus Bow Tie in Sand Shetland Wool was the accoutrement of choice for their special pooch Chester - doesn't he look fab! We caught up with Joanna to hear all about it! 

Joanna, we'd love to know a bit more about Chester & Willow and how they came to live with you both...

We have both always loved dogs. After a lot of research to find the right dog and breed for us, we decided to give Chester a home 5 years ago when he was only 9 weeks old. He is a Ruby Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. We knew instantly from the first cuddle that he was the one and he's stolen our hearts ever since - such a sweet temperment and extremely laid back. He'll do anything for a treat though!

A couple of years ago, we noticed that he was starting to get really lonely, upset tummy's all the time, moping about the house, always sat at the top of the stairs and never with us, so we decided to get him a campanion. Then came along Willow! She will be two this October and is a Black and Tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. We chose her when she was only a few weeks old from a local breeder and brought her home just after Christmas. She is the complete opposite to Chester, she bounds around the house and loves playing with any toy she can find. They wouldn't be without each other now! 

Why was it important to have Chester & Willow with you on your big day? 

It was so importrant for us that Chester and Willow were able to share our special day as they mean the world to us - they are not just pets, they are family. One of the deciding factors in choosing our venue, the Moonraker Hotel nr Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, was because they were dog friendly. They were a part of our ceremony, we walked back down the aisle with them.

 How did you make the day dog friendly? 

The hotel were dog friendly, so this helped a lot - It meant they had little restrictions on where they could go. We are lucky that we have amazing friends and family who helped to look after them on the day. They had their own room at the hotel away from the evening party so they wouldn't get fretful or anxious with poeple regularly checking on them, including myself and Mike.

Any tips for having a dog at your wedding? 

Make sure you have friends or family willing to help take care of your dog(s) - Try to take into account that they don't understand what is going on so make sure they aren't getting anxious by paying them lots of attention and giving them reassurance. 

Why did you choose the Teddy Maximus Bow tie? 

The Teddy Maximus bow tie was perfect for Chester to wear on our special day. It went with the Country theme and style of the hotel - He looked adorable!

Did you have a favourite part of the day? 

To be honest, there wasn't a specific favourite part, the whole day was absolutely perfect and we both enjoyed every moment.

A huge THANK YOU to Joanna for telling us her special story! If you'd got one you'd like to share please get in touch!

Featured: Sand Shetland Wool Bow Tie from teddymaximus.com